The Greater Third Ward Community Plan
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32 Third Ward, from which the Greater Third Ward Community Plan has emerged, From the is one of Houston's four original city G a b r i e 1 1 a G u t i e r r e z council districts and oldest neighborhoods. Stephen Fox describes it in the Houston Grassroots Architectural Guide as "a landscape that spatially depicts the development of Houston's Afro-American community The Greater Third from a culture formed under the impact of legal segregation to one that has won nominal equality."H Despite persisting Ward Community Plan inequities and socioeconomic disparities, ith a June 199.? request for propos- Third Ward remains a distinctive and Wals for comprehensive planning culturally rich community, resonant with assistance, the Third Ward Redevelopment African American history, from which l oimcil officially kicked nil an ambitious, some of Houston's notable black leaders highly progressive, and long overdue seen as an infringement of the rights and ning area was established to coordinate have emerged. The Houston Press char- effort to revitalize the greater Third Ward, privileges of the business elite.- The the effort. acterized it as charming and historic, an area of the inner city southeast of (ireater Third Ward Community Plan "one of the most fascinating areas downtown that lies north of Old Spanish may serve as a model for other local com- The newly established third Ward in town," and designated it "best Neighborhood" in the September 1994 I rail, easi of Main Street, south oi munity activists and planners to emulate. Redevelopment Council secured verbal Best of Houston issue. Interstate 45, and west of (and including) commitments to the project and promises the University of Houston. Predicated on The main purpose of the nonprofit Third of financial support from Texas Southern community participation and privately Ward Redevelopment Council is to coor- University, the University of Houston, Community planner Roberta Burroughs funded by local benefactors, the project dinate the revitali/ation of the greater and the Texas Medical Center — the — a former Third Ward resident whose represents a unique and important grass- Third Ward. Officially established on 24 major institutions in the planning area. 4 firm, Roberta F. Burroughs and roots planning effort in a city in which August 1992 and currently chaired by tin- Resources and sl.itt assistance have been Associates, was awarded the (ireater Third Ward Community Plan contract in April 1994 — calls the neighborhood one oi Houston's best-kept secrets. Burroughs, who has a background in sociology and urban planning, is well versed in community planning and com- mitted to getting people involved in neighborhood redevelopment. Her firm's "asset-based planning" ftjeuses on a com- munity's strengths, seeking consensus on strategies for improving conditions in the neighborhoods as well as maintaining the healthy areas. Her planning team, which included program and policy evaluators Decision Information Resources, planner Sara Jane White, and the civil engineering firm Terra Associates, developed the plan >- in four phases. The planning process has been something of a laboratory for stu- dents and faculty from Texas Southern University and the University of Houston, v\ lii) have participati d in facilitating com munity meetings, surveying land use in the neighborhoods, and exploring urban design concepts for a linear greenway. Phase one of the plan, completed in July 1994, involved setting goals and objec- tives and eliciting residents' opinions about existing conditions, the communi- These boarded-up shotgun houses will soon make way lor single- and multifamily housing, lo be buill by a newly formed community development torporolion in Third Ward. ty's problems and potentials, and possible improvements. Housing, land use, eco- development decisions typically descend Rev, Manson Johnson, the council is a provided by the city of Houston, Metro, nomic development, transportation and from above. From the start the Third coalition of universities, hospitals, busi- and the University of Houston, and many circulation, community facilities, city Ward Redevelopment Council made nesses, churches, civic organizations, and local banks and foundations have con- services, human services, the arts, and public involvement a key condition of residents. It grew out of a series of break- tributed funds.• Neighborhood churches community empowerment were identified 9 the planning process, stating emphatically fast forums held by Texas Southern and other civic groups and individuals are as critical issues. Phase two reviewed that "the plan must directly reflect University in 1990 to present a campus also collaborating with the council and its and analyzed existing conditions. the priorities of the residents and area master plan to Third Ward stakeholders, team of community planners. Strategies for addressing community civic organizations." 1 during which concerns were voiced about problems and reinforcing community issues affecting the quality of life in the The "greater" Third Ward addressed in strengths were presented to the communi- 1 This from-the-bottom-up endeavor is community. It became apparent that a the plan comprises 12 neighborhoods, ty for its feedback in draft form during especially significant for Houston, a city comprehensive plan was needed to devel- several public parks, the medical center, phase three. Phase four consisted of refin- many sociologists and planners consider op effective strategics to address those and the campuses of TSU and UH h and is ing the draft plan to reflect public the antithesis of the planned city. The role issues and guide revitali/ation in Third adjacent to Midtown, downtown, and the response. The final plan was presented to of government in Houston has been to Ward. A formal organization made up of East End. 7 The planning area covers the public on June 3 in a community accommodate the needs of capital rather representatives of community groups, approximately eight square miles, rough* celebration organized by the Third Ward than community; conventional planning is businesses, and institutions from the plan- Iv a third the size of Manhattan. Redevelopment Council and held at TSU. 33 The council is planning an event in A comprehensive community plan serves the late fall to kick off implementation as a guide for city officials, public agen- of the plan. cies, and private interests planning for the growth, revitalization, and redevelop- In addition, the International Federation ment of a community. Grassroots cooper- for Housing and Planning announced ative projects throughout the country in October that a team of University have succeeded when undertaken in the of Houston architecture students spirit of cooperation and good faith. 1 hc (working under the direction of the Greater Third Ward Community Plan is author) earned first prize in the seventh an important example for shaping a annual International Student Design vision of Houston for the next century Competition for their project "A that is responsive to the needs of all the Grecnway for the Greater Third Ward: city's citizens regardless of race, gender, Team leader Roberta Burroughs (third from right) and team member Connecting Diverse Urban Communities," or socioeconomic status. • Mark Ingram (standing, left) discuss goals (or circulation with Third conceived as part of the Greater Third Ward Redevelopment Council board members. Ward Community Plan. NEIGHBORHOOD K E Y I DfvONSHlRS'LINIVERSIlY PLACE 1 ARDMORE 3 SOUTH END IBINZ) 4 RIVERSIDE TERRACE/WASHINGTON TERRACE 5 THIRD WARD 6 S0UTHW00D/N0RTH MicGflEGOR 7 PARKW000 DRIVE/SOUTH MicQREGOR <i , «•, 6 SOUTHLAND 0 OAK WANOR/UNIVERSlTV WOODS 10 UNIVERSITY DAKS I t WEST MicGREGDR 1 ! TIERWESTEH/CANFIELD OAKS/COLLEGE OAKS ,.»««'" One ol several modernist houses in Greater Third W a r d . THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF GREATER THIRD W A R D 1 I hird W.iril Redevelopment Council, "Requests tiir Propositi t»r Comprehensive Planning Technical Assistance for rhc drearer Third Ward Community," June 199.I, p. 6. 2 Stella M. Capck and John I. Ciildcrhloom, Community Vcrsm Commodttys Ttnantt andtht American City (Albany: State University (if New York, I992I. In chapter 6, "Clitics Without Urban Grass-Routs Movements: The Case of Houston," the authors compare 1 lousron with Santa Monica ro demonstrate the possible conscuuciici's of each cny's approach to governing. i Third Ward Redevelopment Council, "Requests for Proposals," [unc t W . I , p, .1, 4 Ibid., p. 4. 5 Honors to the (Jrcatrr Third Ward Community Plan include Hank of America, Bank ol Houston, bank One, Texas N.A., Bank United, the Brown Foundation, Compass Bank, Enterprise Bank, The intersection ol Scott and Blodgetl (near Texas Southern University and the University Calvary Baptist Churth, 3019 Dennis, 1947, In the Third Ward neighborhood, Guaranty Federal Bank, the Houston Endowment, of Houston) Is o terminus of one ol several "economic revitalization corridors." Inc., NationsBank, the Shell Oil Foundation, Southwest Bank of Texas, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Tenncco. Inc., and Texas Commerce Bank. 6 The 12 neighborhoods are I lord Ward, Bin/, Riverside Terracc-Washmtiton Terrace, Southwood-North MacCircitor Oaks, i"ierwesier-C anfield Oaks-College Oaks. Oak Manor-University Woods, University Oaks. West 4. MacGregor, Parkwood Drive-South MacGregor, Southland, Ardmore, and Devonshire-University Place. I lennann Park, the Brays Bayou hike and hike trail, and MacGregor Park are the major parks. See Roberta F. Burroughs and Associates wirh Decision Information Resources. Inc., ami Sara Jane White, AICP, Inc., "Third Ward Community Plan Background Report: Population. Employment, Houston." October IVSJ4, p. 19. 7 Burroughs and Associates, "drearer Third Ward News," April 1994. H Stephen Fox, HouttOH Architectural Quid* I American Institute ol Archuects-I louston Chapter Second Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 3317 Francis, is one of nearly 40 churches In House an South MacGregor Way In the Riverside Terrace neighborhood. and I lernng Press, 1990), p. 144. Greater Third Ward. 9 Burroughs and Associates, "GreaterThird Ward News." December 1994. .